Machine for treating sheet-rubber.



M. H. CLARK.

MACHINE FOR TREATING SHEET RUBBER.

Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.24| 1914.

g m bjic'zavi 2 ,7

M. H. CLARK.

-MACHINE FOR TREATING SHEET. RUBBER. j APPLICATION FILED DEC- 24. I914.

' Patented May 22,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 'IIHIIIIIIIIIIUIIH W:

"y; v fifleitzrz M an. Pal w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

MYRON H. CLARK, OF HASTINGS-UPON-HUDSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOOD-YEARS METALLIC RUBBER SHOE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR TREATING SHEET-RUBBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 24, 1914. Serial N 0. $78 ,936.

' To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, MYRoN H. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hastings-upon-Hudson, county of VVestchester, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forTreating Sheet-Rubber, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates -to a calendering machine, and more particularlyto such a machine primarily adapted for forming sheets forrubberarticles. In the preparait is customary to subject the stock to acalendering operation, this stock being first run through separate rollsinto a mass of four or five hundred pounds weight, then after havingbeen divided into smaller pieces is transferred by hand to a calenderingmachine where it is fed in by hand. It is there rolled into a sheet ofdesired thickness, and of suitable width for the articles to be madetherefrom,

- and in the case of soles for shoes and other articles having specialsurface designs, is also subjected to the operation of an engravingroll, to form the corrugations or other indentations and projections andit is then conducted away from the calendering machine and cut into anynecessary individual pieces. Some kinds of rubber stock being extremelytough, sticky, heavy and difiicult to handle, the rolling andcalendering machines designed to operate thereon are of very heavyconstruction and a number of workmen are required to operate the separ'te feeding rolls to have plenty of material constantly, in advance ofthe calendering machines so that the latter may be run continuouslywithout. interruption. Further difiiculties with rubber stock are that,during the transfer from the primary or feeding rollers, which areheated, to the calendering machine, the stock coo-ls off and thereforesuccessive batches vary considerably in mg rolls. Also atmosphericconditions, va-

rying degrees of humidity and different temperatures have great effectupon rubber stock. as is well known and the necessary result of runningdifferent batches of stock through separate feeding rolls, conveyingthem to the calender, where they stand exposed to the air for aconsiderable time, and then feeding such batches into the calenderingmachine with each batch varying in temperature and texture, tends toproduce a non-uniform product.

My invent-ion contemplates the provision of automatic means which willenable the stock to be fed directly to the calendering machine from apair of primary or feeding rolls continuously and without interruption,without manual handling and Without variation in the time required forsuch handling from the feeding rolls to the calendering machine andwithout variation in the degrees of temperature of successive portionsof the stock. Thus my invention contemplates automatic apparatus, havingprovision to receive a supply of untreatedstock, such as scrap or freshbatches, in large or small amounts, as is usually piled into the feedingrolls. Then to take the stock so formed and conduct it without materialloss of heat or subjecting it to any substantial atmospheric contact andfeeding such stock directly into a calendering machine. 1 This featureof continuous feeding, eliminating all manual transportation and alsothe manual .labor required to divide into small batches is of verydecided importance.

Heretofore calendering machines have usually comprised a series ofadjacent rolls Patented May 22, 1917.

around which the stock was conducted.

action of the central roll, both as to operation. speed and temperature.It is often desirable, in operating upon certain kinds of rubber stock,to actuate the successive rolls through which the stock passes at vary-'ing speeds, to control better the feeding of such stock and thecalendering operation thereon. It will be readily appreciated when asheet is led through a calendering machine, having only three rolls,each outside roll operating adjacent to the central roll, thatvariations in the speed of the outer rolls, owing to differentthicknesses of stock, will not receive any corresponding variation inthe speed of rotation of the center roll, all three rolls beingnecessarily run substantially at a uniform rate of surface speed. It isalso desirable to control the temperatures of the rolls in a calender=ing machine, such rolls being made hollow and subjected to a flow ofsteam or of water to heat or cool the same, as desired.

Special features of the invention, novel combinations of parts, anddetails of construction will be hereinafter more fully pointed out andclaimed.

Referring to the drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated,

Figure 1 is a view of a pair of feeding rolls, shown partly in section,together with an automatic conveying and folding mechanism coiiperatingwith my improved calendering machine, the rolls of the latter beingindicated in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the stock folding device;

. Fig. 3 is a front View of the multiple roll calendering machine; and

Fig. 4 is an end view of the machine.

I have indicated in conventional'manner in Fig. 1 the floor 1, roofbeams 2 and a supporting stanchion 3 of a building for convenience inshowing my invention. The feeding portion of the apparatus may be ofusual type, comprising a supporting standard 4, framework 5, hopper 6,and a pair of hollow feedingrolls 7 and 8 which are secured for adjutment toward and from each other to determine the thickness of stock fedtherethrough. These rolls are usually formed hollow to permit of heatingor cooling by a supply of steam or water in the usual manner. Batches ofrubber' stock, scraps of rubber, etc., are piled into the hopper 6 andare fed downwardly between the rolls 7 and 8 to constitute a sheet. Thebatches piled into the hopper 6 may have been rolled before, or not, asdesired, and as above stated, if previously rolled in another or similarfeeding machine, it may be automatically fed into the hopper 6 by anautomatic conveying device similar to that hereinafter described. Iarrange on the frame 5 in suitable journal bearmgs, therefore, aplurality of rolls 9, 10 and 11, over which the conveying belts 12 and13 are passed, together with a roller 14 in position under the feedrolls 7 and 8, as shown in I Fig. 1, around which the sheet 15,indicated in broken lines, is led from the rolls 7 and 8 to theconveying belt 13, which is arranged to pass adjacent to the roller 14.

Mounted upon suitable brackets or supports 16 and 17 are the rolls 18,19, 20 and 21, around which the belts 12 and 13 are led,

preferably as indicated in Fig. 1, the belt 12 being led around therolls 9 and 19, and the sheet 15 being conveyed from the roll 14 to theroll 9, where it is gripped between the inner contacting portions of thebelts 12 and 13, upwardly to the roll 21, and thence around the roll 18where it is led downwardly. Either of the rolls 10 or 11 may beconnected with a suitable source of power the sheet 15 is positivelygripped betweenthe adjacent and similarly moving portions of the belts12 and 13 between the rolls 9 and 21.

These belts 12 and 13 are of slightly greater width than the width ofthe sheet 15, thus substantially inclosing the sheet and enabling it toretain approximately the same degree of temperature as that imparted toit upon leaving the rolls 7 and 8, as well as preventing atmosphericcontact therewith which might vary the consistency of the stock in thesheet 15. In order to fold said sheet 15 into smaller and narrower widthas well as to increase its toughness and texture when. run through thecalender rolls, I provide a folding roller 22 mounted between a pair ofarms, one being shown at 23 which is secured by a depending frameworkhaving supports 24 and 25 carried by the bracket or support 17. A pairof idle folding rollers 26- and 27 through which the sheet is conductedto a guide roller 28 are also provided, and suitably journaled in'supports or brackets carried by the depending supports 24 and 25, asindicated at 29 and 30,-Fig. 1.

While many features of my present invention may be carried out in acalender-ing machine of ordinary type which would be mounted adjacentthe feeder and conveying apparatus above described, I preferably employan improved form of multiple roll calendering machine, as has been abovebriefly explained. My improved type of calendering machine will now bedescribed. Mounted in a suitable pair of standards 31 and 32 are aplurality of coiiperating pairs of calendering rolls. Each pair ed injournal bearings carried in suitable recesses therefor in each of thestandards 31 and 32. These journal bearings are indicated at 33 and 35in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the rear journal box being there shown at 35in the upper pair.

Each pair of rolls is similarly mounted and a description of the upperpair will, therefore, serve to explain the manner of mounting all therolls. The end journal box for the outer roll is adjust-ably heldrelatively with its cooperating inner roll byadjusting screws 36 and 37threaded through straps 38 and 39 (see Fig. 4), which straps are boltedtothe sides 31 and 32' by a plurality of threaded bolts 40. When a pairof rolls is positioned and the inclosing caps 38 and 39 are fitted on tothe frame and they bolts 40 tightened, adjustments of the adjustingscrews 36 and 37 control the moveof rolls is mountment of the outercalendering roll toward heavy a type of machlne as that necessary theinner calendering roll, and provide for the thickness of the materialfed between the pairs of rolls as will be readily understood.Furthermore in a machine of this type, it is desirable to have the pairof cocperating rolls adjusted at a slightly different longitudinalrelation, so that the stock fed therethrough may be thicker at one sideof the sheet than at the other. This is especially desirable where thesheet is of a width equal to the length of the article to be madetherefrom, and it is desired to have a thicker stock at the heel portionof the sole than around the forepart.

In the calendering roll herein illustrated, I use three pairs of rolls,although a larger number may be employed if found desirable, the machineherein shown comprising successive pairs of rolls 41 and42, 43 and 44,45 and 46. The roll 45 may and preferably would be an engraved roll toform the corrugations on the outer surface of the stock which is toconstitute a rubber sole. It will be appreciated that the constructionjust explained provides a successive pair of calendering rolls with eachpair of rolls independent of the succeeding pair, as far as theircooperating action upon the stock fed therethrough is concerned. It isalso evident that each pair of rolls may be separately adjusted for thethickness of stock fed therethrough, and are capable of separate removaland replacement without disturbing the adjustmentsof the adjacent pairs.This latter feature isof great importance in as for operating uponrubber stock. It will also be appreciated that 1 am enabled to controlthe temperature of each pair of rolls separately andindependently fromthat of the adjacent pair. as well as to control the speed of rotationof each cotiperating pair of rolls entirely independently andseparatelyfrom the rotative speed of the adjacent pair. F urthermore,each pair of rolls act evenly and uniformly on each side of the stockbeing fed therethrough without any dragging action on the stock whichnecessarily resulted in the old style of three-roll calendering machinewhere a different speed of the rolls wasv attempted.

In order to control the temperature ofthe pairs of calendering rolls,which rolls are hollow, I provide suitable pipes 47 and 48 in thecustomary manner. to conduct steam or water therethrough from anysuitable source of supply, the pipes into each pair of rolls being, ofcourse, capable of supplying any desired degree of temperature to therespective rolls.

In order to rotate the different pairs of rolls at separate speeds, whendesired, I may simply affix different gears to the driving end of theroll, or I may utilize a chain drive, and may therefore secure variationin shown, since it enables the entire mechanism to be automaticallystopped, should an obstruction occur, without breaking the rolls orgears, by arranging one link of the main driving sprocket chain ofsufiicient strength to break at a. predetermined tension, which linkwould thus break before damage could be occasioned to the rolls, or tothe other parts or mechanism, thereby acting in the nature of a safetydevice.

Any suitable means. of actuating the successive pairs of rolls may beemployed, that herein shown comprising a main gear or sprocket wheel 49keyed to' the shaft 50 of the roll 44, on one side of the calenderingmachine, ment from any suitable source of power, and which mayconveniently be employed to drive all the rolls on one side of themachine, by having sprocket wheels 51 and 52 on the other end of theshaft 50, the wheel 51 being connected with a corresponding sprocketwheel 53 on the roll 41 by means of a sprocket chain 54 and the wheel 52being connected to a corresponding wheel 55 on the roll 46 by a sprocketchain 56. As shown in Fig. 4, the sprocket Wheels 51, 53 and 55 may beof varying diameters, thereby imparting varying rates of speed to thecorresponding rolls, which they actuate respectively. A similararrangement is provided to actuate the front rolls 41, 43 and 45 of eachpair, such rolls being 0 course, rotated in the reverse direction fromthat of the rear set of rolls. To accomplish this, the shaft 50 isprovided with a second sprocket wheel 57 adjacent the main driving wheel49, and idle wheels 58 and 59 are arranged around which a. sprocketchain indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, is led to the gear wheel 61on the shaft 62 of the top front roll 41. At the opposite end of theshaft 62 is a sprocket wheel 63 which, from the arrangement of thesprocket chain 61 just described, will be actuated in a reversedirecwhich receives its rotative move-' tion from that of the drivingwheel 57 on the shaft 50, as will be understood. A

sprocket chain 64 from. the wheel 63 to a corresponding wheel 65 on theshaft operat- 'ing the roll 43 will drive this roll in the samedirection, and a second wheel 66 on the said shaft will drive the lowerwheel 67 to actuate the roll 45 by means of a-sprocket chain 68. It willbe desirable to provide idlers 69,70 and 71, as illustrated in Fig. 4,

' The stock is also folded to provide erably provided with a roll 72 inits upper part which may be adjustably mounted on brackets 73 tofacilitate the guiding of the sheet 15 into the first pair offeed rolls11 and 42. I preferably arrange between each successive pair of feedrolls, idler guide rollers 74 and 75 over which the sheet 15 is led, inorder to produce a yielding tension on the stock as it is fed from onepair of rolls to the succeeding pair, as well as to control the side onwhich the bank of stock is formed at the feeding in of the stock betweeneach respective pair of rolls. These idlers 74: and 75 may be yieldinglymounted in any suitable manner, but as herein illustrated, eachend ofthese idlers is carried by a slide 76, which slide is actuated bysprings 77, substantially as shown in Fig. 1, so that a yielding tensionis constantly exerted upon the sheet 15, as it is conducted through thecalendering machine. By applying a suitable gage, scale, or the like toeither of the pair of slides carrying the idlers 74, 75, the tension onthe stock being fed through the machine may be automatically indicated,such an indicator being shown at TS in the form of a spring scale, whichis connected by a wire or rod 79 to one of the slides. As the stock 15is folded and fed downwardly through the calendering machine, it 1spreferably led around the lower engraved roll 45, and up to a carryingbelt 80, which belt is conducted around a roller 81 adjacent to theengraved roll 45 by means of which belt the calendered, engraved andfinished sheet is automatically conveyed away from the calendering rollto another part of the factory where the sheet is cut into sole stripsfor use.

The calendering machine has its sides 31 and 32 secured together bysuitable bolts 82, and may be permanently secured to the floor 1 bybolts 83, it beingjentirely unnecessary to remove the sides 31 and.32when removing or replacing any of the pairs of rolls. In former"calendering machines, it was ex tremely difficult to replace any of thecalendering rolls, and a great deal of time and expense was involvedwhen such replacing was necessary; in my present calendering machine thefacility with which rolls may be replaced is of great importance from apractical standpoint.

It will thus be seen that I have provided automatic mechanism forconveying rubber stock from feeding rolls directly to a calenderingmachine without manual handling, and without exposing the stock soconveyed to any considerable atmospheric conditions. Its degree oftemperature is also preserved so that the stock is supplied to thecalendering machine at a uniform temperature. a better texture andtougher condition.

One important feature of my invention is that I can utilize very widefeeding rolls and conduct the stock therefrom to a calen dering machinehaving considerably less width than that of the feeding rolls. Iaccomplish this feature by automatically narrowing the sheet of stockformed by the feeding rolls while it is being transferred from thefeeding roll to the calendering roll. I therefore prefer to double thesheet on itself and deliver it to the calendering machine with a widthone-half of that which was formed by the feeding rolls.v If desirable,the sheet could be again folded and a further advantage of this foldingresults in an additional mixing or working of the stock and tougheningof the sheet produced and in greater homogeneity.

In my improved calendering machine I employ a pair of separate rolls foreach of the successive rolling operations, each pair being independentof the adjacent pair, in speed, in degrees of temperature, and in theextent to which they may be adjusted for the thickness of the stock, asmay be desired. So far as I am aware, this provision in a heavycalendering roll, such as is necessary to operate upon rubber stock forthe soles of footwear, of separate and independent rolls, is a distinctnovelty and has resulted in numerous advantages in actual practice. Byhaving a plurality of pairs of rolls I am enabled to run each successivepair in the line of feed at slightly increased speed, if necessary, aswell as to have each successive pair of a different temperature and alsohave an even, uniform, calendering operation by having the two rollersof each pair between surfaces of adjacent rollers which were run atdifferent speeds. I find that my improved calendering machine, with itscapability of separate and independent adjustments, progressive speeds,and capacity for just the right degrees of temperature of eachsuccessive pair of rolls, enables a satisfactory product to be producedfrom relatively inferior stock and thus to utilize rubber stock, whichwould otherwise be discarded.

A further important feature of the invention resulting from having theseparate pairs of calendering rolls, is that I am enabled to lead thesheet from one pair to the adjacent pair so that the bank formed in thesheet at the feeding entrance between each pair of rolls may be alwayson the same side of the sheet, or may be alternately on one side andthen on the other, as I can conduct the sheet over idlers slightlyeccentric to the line of feed of the calendering rolls. In the old stylecalendering machine employing adjacent rolls, it was, of course,impossible-to. vary the side of the sheet on which the bank would form.Still further advantages in the cale'ndering machine having separatepairs of rolls, consists in the ease and capability of changing a rollof one pair without affecting the bearings ,or adjustments of anadjacent pair; in enabling each pair of rolls to be driven at a speedindependent of the speed of rotation of adjacent rolls; and in utilizinga sprocket chain drive in place of the former gear wheels used on theold style calendering machines. In such heavy machines as those of thekind herein shown, the gears were apt to be stripped from thecalendering rolls, necessitating the removal. of such wheel andsubstitution of an entirely new one, whereas with a sprocket drive,should one link break, it may be quickly repaired by the application ofa single new link, such link being preferably .of sufficient strength sothat it will break before any of the rest of the mechanism, and thus actin the nature of a safety fuse, automatically stopping the rotation ofthe rolls, should they meet with an obstruction. I

An additional feature of the invention is that in the novel calenderingmachine as herein shown, Iam enabled to apply a yielding. tension uponthe stock or sheet as the same is led from between one pair ofcalendering rolls to the succeeding pair, and thereby enable a moresatisfactory feeding and calendering operation, thestock being heldunder a substantially uniform and constant pressure and therefore beingacted upon more evenly, than in prior calendering machines. This featureis of speciaLimpon tance in calendering rubber stock, as in the formertypes of three-roll calendering machines the sheet wasled around themiddle roll' and might often fall away from. the roll or tend to hug thesame too tightly for the best results. By meansof the calendering rollof my invention, ho\vever,the natural variations in resiliency of thesheet are automatically taken up by a spring actuated roll oridler'between the successive pairs of calenderingrolls and a moreuniform product. is insured.

It will be readily appreciated that it is within the principle of myinvention to provide a plurality of automatic feeding-rollers andconveyers from one roll to the succeed, mg roll, and from the last pairof feeding rolls to the calendering machine, should such a. constructionbe desirable, and also to .fold the stock during its conveyance from onepair of feeding rolls to the succeeding pair,'as well as from the lastpair of feed rolls to the calendering machine, if such a multiplicity offolding and consequent working ofthe, rubber stock should be de- 'incombination, "'a calender,

sirable. So far as I am aware it is a distinct novelty in this art toprovide such automatic mechanism, as well as to convey the stock fromone rubber working machine toa succeeding oneby automatic conveyer-swhich prevent the stock from material change in its temperature or frommaterial contact with the air, and I wish to claim the same broadly. Itis also a distinct novelty to provide a calendering machine withsuccessive pairs of rolls, as well as to provide a machine with yieldingtensioning devices acting on the stock between the successive rollingoperations, and these features I wish to claim broadly. In actualpractice I find that the apparatus herein described enables me to securea much 'more uniform and better sole stock than has heretofore beenpossible, as well as to utilize inferior stock and render it suitablefor rubber soles.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to have protectedby Let= ters Patent is:

1. In a machine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, a calender,feed means to prepare and convey stock to saidcalender, and means toinclose said stock during its, passage from said feed means to saidcalender.

2. Ina machine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, a calender,feed means for preparing stock for said calender, comprising a conveyerincluding a plurality of belts having their surfaces spaced apart adistance equal approximately to the thickness of the material suppliedby said feed means and adapted to receive said material therebetween.

3. In a machine for treating sheet rubber,

and feed mechanism for supplying stock thereto, comprising a device forforming a sheet of stock, and a device for decreasing the width of "thesheet without cutting the same.

4. In a machine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, a calender,and feed mechanism for sup-plying stock thereto comprising a device forforming a sheet of stock and a device for decreasing the width of thesheet including a mechanism for superposing one part of the sheetonanother part thereof. i

5. In amachine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, a calender,and feed mechanism for supplying stock thereto comprising a device forformin a sheet of stock and a device for folding the so-formed sheet.

6. In a machine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, a calender,and feed mechanism for supplying stock thereto, comprising a device forforming a sheet of stock, and a device for folding the so-formed sheetincluding a pair of folding rollers and guide rollers coacting with saidsheet.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described,

, and placed a calendering machine adapted to receive stock of onewidth, feeding rolls to prepare the stock for said calendering machine,adapted to form the stock of a ditferent width, and automatic conveyingmechanism comprising means to receive the stock from said feeding rollsof one width and feed said stock to the calendering machine suited inwidth for the latter, said means being adapted to alter the width ofsaid stock without cutting the same.

8. In a machine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, a pluralityof spaced sets of horizontal rolls, each set consisting of two rolls,the rolls of one set being independent of the rolls of an adjacent set,and means to feed rubber to said sets of rolls to cause its passagetherethrough successively. Y

9. In a machine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, a pluralityof sets of horizontal rolls, each set consisting of two rolls, said setsbeing spaced from one another one above the other, the rolls of one setbeing independent of the rolls of an adjacent set. l j

10. In a machine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, a pluralityof spaced sets of horizontal rolls, each set consisting of two rolls,the rolls of one set being independent of the rolls of an adjacent set,means to feed rubber to said sets of rolls successively, and means todeflect the rubber in passing from one set of rolls to the next adjacentset.

11. In a machine for treating sheet rubber, in combination, aplurality-of sets of horizontal rolls, each set consisting of two rolls,said sets being spaced from one another and placed one above the other,and rollers positioned in the spaces between said sets of rolls andoffset from the plane passing through the lines of contact of said rollsand adapted to deflect the rubber passing between said rolls. 7

12. A calendering machine, having means to operate upon stock at aplurality of points progressively, and means to indicate the tensionupon the stock between the successive calendering operations.

13. A calendering machine having a plurality of spaced sets of rolls,means to deflect stock passing from one set of rolls to the nextadjacent set, and means comprising a resilient member adapted toindicate the tension on the stock between successive sets of rolls.

Signed at New York, county and State of New York, this 23rd day ofDecember,

MYRON H. CLARK.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS BOYLE,

MAUDE PFA'FFMANN.

